This invention relates to light emitting devices used in the treatment and/or observation of infants and, specifically, to an illuminator that is adapted to be used with more that one end use light emitting device to act as a light source via a fiberoptic cable to the end use device.
One apparatus currently on the market that provides phototherapy to an infant is the fiberoptic light therapy system marketed under the trademark Biliblanket by Ohmeda Inc. That system basically comprises an illuminator and which is a box containing a light source, normally a quartz halogen lamp, as well as filters and associated electrical connections and control components. A fiberoptic pad that is woven from optical fibers and normal the woven fiberoptic pad is coupled, or woven to the ends of a fiberoptic cable.
That fiberoptic cable contains multiple individual optical fibers; the aforementioned commercial apparatus has about 2400 individual optical fibers in its fiberoptic cable. At the free end of the fiberoptic cable, a connector is provided so that the fiberoptic pad and cable can be readily connected and disconnected from the illuminator. The illuminator itself, is relatively expensive and can be used continually while the fiberoptic pad may be replaced when worn or disconnected for cleaning.
Since the procedure of phototherapy requires light radiation of within a fairly specific wavelength range, there is a filter within the illuminator that filters out most of the electromagnetic spectrum so that only light radiation having wavelengths in the range of about 400-550 nanometers is emitted toward the skin of the infant. Accordingly, it is important that the light from the illuminator transmitted via the fiberoptic cable to the fiberoptic pad be limited to radiation within that limited spectrum.
Other devices, however, are used in caring for or observing infants and which may also have a fiberoptic cable with a light emitter at one end thereof. One of such devices is a transilluminator and which is a bright light that is used to allow the physician to observe actually through a portion of the infant, such as an arm. Transilluminators are used for a variety of purposes with infants, such as in locating venepuncture sites, carrying out pneumothoraces, that is, viewing the infant's lungs and hydrocephalus, that is, actually viewing the infant's brain.
The device therefore requires considerable light but is capable of employing more of the spectrum of light radiation than is used for light therapy. Again, an illuminator is used to supply the light through a fiberoptic cable to reach and be emitted from the transilluminator.
Since the illuminator is relatively expensive, and space is at a premium around infants during treatment, it would be advantageous if the same illuminator could be utilized with more that one light emitting device. In addition, the cost to the user would be reduced by the availability of a universal or adaptable illuminator that is capable of supplying light radiation for phototherapy as well as other dedicated light emitting devices however, for safety reasons, it is also important to ensure that when a woven fiberoptic pad is employed for phototherapy, only the proper filtered wavelengths be allowed to reach the infant.